I'll Be Watching You
by genies9
Summary: *Chapter 9 now up*COMPLETED* Suze and Jesse thought that they'd escaped Paul for good. But they were wrong, and now Paul wants revenge... *SEQUEL TO ANOTHER HAUNTED*
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my sequel to "Another Haunted." After reading the sample chapter in Seventeen magazine, I now know that I was way off base. But I'm still writing this story according to the "plot" I set up in "Another Haunted," based, of course, on Cabot's first chapter of "Haunted."  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own The Mediator. I do not own the characters or much of the basic storyline (mediator stuff, Suze's life before this story takes place, etc.) but I did make up the plot, which is, as I said, the sequel to my fanfic that is loosely based on Meg Cabot's book "The Mediator." Please do not sue me.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
Here's the thing about being in love with a ghost: It can get very messy.  
  
I mean, okay, I knew that, when I started getting involved with Jesse, that things weren't going to be easy. He is dead, after all. It's not like I could change that. But still, it definitely had a lot of perks.  
  
However, hearing daily lectures on the "delicate" relationship between mediators and ghosts from Father Dominic-fellow mediator and principal of my school, Junipero Serra Academy-was not one of them. You'd think that, coming from a guy who apparently had some sort of thing going with a ghost when he was my age, he'd be a little more open minded about the whole thing.  
  
But no. From the moment I walked into his office the Monday after Jesse and I had decided to start going out-or at least, whatever it is you want to call it when your boyfriend is a ghost-Father D made it very clear that he was against it. I mean it, he practically went ballistic, going on and on about what a mediator should and should not do.  
  
And, okay, can I just point out that I am not like most mediators? I mean, most mediators, I'd like you to note, cannot send ghosts on to Heaven or Hell or whatever just by wanting it, or however it works. Most mediators can't control minds.  
  
I'm serious. Just a month before, I'd learned from Paul Slater-fellow mediator and psycho killer-that I was not like other mediators. And I knew for a fact that I could do all that-at least, I could do the mind control thing. I'd only tried it once, and that was because Jesse-who's mind was being controlled by Paul-was trying to strangle me.  
  
Apparently, though, Father Dominic didn't see things my way. Which is why I was sitting in his office on that particular day, listening to his usual tirade.  
  
"Susannah," Father Dominic said, "as mediators, we are supposed to be helping ghosts to move on. We're not supposed to be having. er." "Romantic relations?" I supplied.  
  
Father D frowned.  
  
I waved my hand dismissively. "Just kidding. Go on."  
  
Father Dom sighed. "We aren't supposed to be having, as you jokingly put it, romantic relations with them."  
  
"Father Dom," I said, irritated, "I'm not a regular mediator, though. Don't you think that the rules are a bit different for me?" I had, of course, told Father Dominic about what Paul had told me. I figured that, since Father D had been around a lot longer than I had, that he would have heard of that sort of thing.  
  
It turned out, actually, that he hadn't, which just had me confused, really. Since Paul had, according to Jesse, died in what was apparently a pretty nasty fire, I really had no one to explain any of this to me. I mean, I didn't really know what I was supposed to do for most of my new found "powers."  
  
It almost made me sorry that Paul had died in the fire. Almost.  
  
While Father Dominic went off on another tangent, I sunk down into my chair, pretending to listen, but really trying to remember the night before.  
  
Jesse had been exceptionally wonderful since Paul had forced him to nearly kill me. It was almost like the whole fact that that had happened was making him realize how much he actually liked me-or maybe, I'd often mused, it made him finally decide to show it. Either way, I liked the change quite a bit.  
  
I was sitting in my window seat, reading Seventeen magazine (A/N: Notice how I managed to slip it in there?) when Jesse showed up.  
  
I glanced up at him, smiling. "Hey," I greeted, setting down my magazine.  
  
Jesse smiled back at me, coming to sit down beside me. I swear, in the past month, that smile of his-which, I might add, would make any girl's knees go weak-was having even more of an effect on me.  
  
Like right then, I could practically feel my insides turn to mush as he pulled me into his arms and kissed me.  
  
I sighed contentedly. Oh, yes, there definitely were some perks to having Jesse as my boyfriend.  
  
"Susannah," Father Dom said, interrupting my thoughts. "Susannah, are you listening to me?" I nodded, even though I really hadn't been.  
  
Father Dominic sighed. "I was saying that-oh, for goodness sake, never mind. You need to get back to class." He quickly signed my pass, and I was out the door before he could change his mind.  
  
It was as I was walking back to class that I noticed someone in the shadows. I squinted, trying to see their face, but I couldn't. I walked toward him.  
  
I stopped when I finally saw his face. I sucked in a breath. It couldn't be.  
  
Paul Slater stepped from the shadow, looking very much the way I'd last seen him-save a bit of goatee growing on his face-and, I might add, very much alive.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I hissed, not caring how much my voice was shaking.  
  
Paul didn't answer. He merely slipped a piece of folded up paper from his pocket and jabbed it into my hand. Then he disappeared down the hallway.  
  
I was shaking the whole way back to class. How could Paul still be alive? Jesse had said that he'd died in the fire at the warehouse.  
  
I didn't get a chance to look at what Paul gave me until lunch. When I opened it, I realized that it was a note:  
  
Suze,  
  
You might think you escaped me at the warehouse, but you were very wrong. I'll be watching you. Don't do anything too stupid.  
  
Paul 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
  
  
After school that day, I found Adam in the parking lot.  
  
"Hey," I said, sidling up next to him. "Can I ask you a big favor?" I gave him my best smile, hoping that he wouldn't object too much to where I wanted him to drive me to.  
  
In the end, Adam only put up a small fight about taking me, but eventually he relented, which is why, twenty minutes later, I was standing at the front desk of the Carmel Police Station, wearing what I hoped was my best smile.  
  
The woman behind the desk looked at me through a pair of glasses that rested on the tip of her nose. I'm not kidding. She looked like a librarian or something. You know, the kind that gets all mad at you when you're talking too loudly in the library.  
  
"May I help you?"  
  
I glanced over my shoulder at Adam. Biting my lip, I said, "I need to talk to Detective Arnold."  
  
The woman directed me toward an office door, where she told me I could wait for Detective Arnold, who wasn't in at the moment.  
  
I turned to Adam who had followed me to the door. "I need to talk to him for awhile," I explained to him. "Do you mind staying out here?"  
  
He didn't, so I entered the office and closed the door behind me. It hadn't changed since the last time I'd been there. There was a large oak desk in the center, and it had papers stacked on top in messy piles, and pictures of what I assumed were his wife and baby boy.  
  
Detective Arnold entered just then, so I really didn't have much time to ponder any of this, and it wasn't like I found it terribly important.  
  
"Miss Simon," he greeted. "What can I do for you?"  
  
I forced an uneasy smile. "I think Paul Slater's alive."  
  
The detective blinked at me for a long moment. It wasn't exactly the response I was expecting, let me tell you. "Miss Simon, that's impossible."  
  
I stared at him. "What? I saw him with my own eyes, Detective. It was no more than a few hours ago. Paul's definitely alive."  
  
He just shook his head. "I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken. We found his body and it has already been identified by his family." He leaned forward, planting his elbows on the desktop. "You probably only saw someone who resembles Paul Slater."  
  
I shook my head. What was wrong with him? He shouldn't be acting like what I was telling him was nothing. For God's sake, didn't he care that I had seen a convicted killer? He had to.  
  
But, as I soon found out, that wasn't the case. Which was why, twenty minutes later, when Adam dropped me off at home, I was in an especially bad mood. And when I got up to my room, my day got even worse.  
  
Okay, let me just say that, normally, I'm very happy to see Jesse sitting on my daybed. But today was different. Not only had I found out that my nemesis, Paul Slater, was alive, but no one would believe me. And Jesse just had be there, looking so damn hot and the opening in his shirt-which, of course, showed off his abs-looked so inviting. I'm telling you, my life is not fair.  
  
Not that I minded the way Jesse looked at me just then. He had this big smile on his face, you know, the kind where you could totally tell he was happy to see me.  
  
"Querida," he said when he noticed the expression on my face, "is something wrong?" His smile turned to a look of concern as I dropped down onto my bed across from him.  
  
"No," I mumbled. Don't get me wrong, I really did want to tell Jesse about Paul. I know that he at least would believe me. The thing is, though, that I know how angry he'd get. He hates Paul just as much-and sometimes I think more-as me. But that just wouldn't be a good idea. Because, as much as I hated to admit it, Paul knew a lot more about the whole mediator thing than I did, and he was probably the only person who could tell me how to use my new "powers." That and I wanted to know how he'd managed to survive.  
  
That's why I didn't tell Jesse about him. See, if Jesse knew that Paul was still alive, he'd probably kill him. Not only had Paul tried to kill his girlfriend-me-but he also used Jesse to do it. That's not exactly the thing that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy about a guy.  
  
So, when Jesse said, in his silky voice, "Are you certain?" I just nodded.  
  
For once, Jesse actually left the subject alone, which surprised me. I decided to let it go for right then, figuring I had enough to deal with at the moment.  
  
Maybe I should have paid more attention to what Jesse wouldn't say. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
The next day after school, things got a lot worse. Not that I thought they could at the time. I mean, really, what could be worse than having your arch enemy-who also happens to be a killer-alive after a month of thinking he was dead?  
  
Apparently a lot more than I thought.  
  
When I got into the parking lot that day, I was one of the last students to exit the building. I didn't get far, though when a familiar voice called out to me.  
  
"Suze."  
  
I turned around and saw Paul-once again lurking in the shadows-it was really starting to creep me out-leaning against the adobe outer walls of the Mission Academy.  
  
I started to turn around and run, but Paul-who, I realized too late, was near enough to me to reach-grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him roughly. I tried to wrench my arm free of his grasp, but he just held on tighter. My heart was pounding so loudly that I was sure Paul could hear it.  
  
Paul leaned close and whispered in my ear. "Start walking to the end of the lot," he ordered.  
  
I blinked. I don't know what exactly I thought he was going to say, but that definitely wasn't it.  
  
"I-"  
  
Paul didn't bother to listen to whatever it was I planned to say. To be honest, I don't even know. But Paul just turned me around, and started pushing me toward the far end of the parking lot. Most of the cars at this end had already cleared out.  
  
I didn't recognize the car we stopped at. It wasn't the one I'd seen Paul drive before-an old beat up jeep. No, this one was just as old and beat up, except it was a pick-up truck.  
  
At Paul's command-I couldn't very well refuse, since he was using the old mind control thing on me-I got into the car and he went around and got in the driver's seat.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I demanded as he started up the truck. "You're supposed to be-" I stopped myself, afraid of what the outcome might be if I finished that sentence.  
  
Paul laughed humorlessly. "Dead? Sorry to disappoint you, Suze, but I'm very much alive." We pulled out of the parking lot then and moved into traffic. I wished-stupidly, I know-that someone, anyone, would notice that I was being forced to ride in the car of a convicted killer. Not that he looked very much like one, though. A killer, I mean. He actually looked pretty good, for a guy who's been living.how exactly had he been living that past month? It wasn't like he could go out to McDonald's and order a Big Mac.  
  
Which is why I went, "Yeah, why aren't you dead?" like an idiot.  
  
Paul glared at me as we came to a red light. "Look, I'm not that easy to kill, all right? You and your boyfriend are hardly a challenge."  
  
I blinked. Somehow I didn't believe that. I mean, what he said about me and Jesse being a challenge. Okay, the last time I'd seen him, I'd been tied up, but still. Jesse had been doing a pretty good job of taking care of Paul all by himself. That is, until I got hit in the head with a falling beam, and he had to drag me out of there before I fried.  
  
So I just snorted. "Yeah, right." That wasn't the brightest idea, it turned out. You really shouldn't go around mocking-though I really didn't think it was, Paul sure did-a murderer. They tend to take it pretty badly.  
  
Whether or not Paul had been planning what he did next, I really don't know. Because just then he pulled off to the side of the road and pulled something out of the back of the truck.  
  
I glanced around, wondering what exactly he was going to do on the side of the road. He could have been trying to go for the whole dead-body-in-the- ditch cliché, but really, there wasn't much of a ditch. Not to mention it was broad daylight.  
  
It was just as I was thinking this that I saw what Paul had pulled out from the back. It was a long piece of black cord.  
  
Realizing what he meant to do, I lunged for the door handle, cursing myself for not trying to escape earlier.  
  
Paul grabbed me roughly, growling, in his mind-control voice, "Hold still."  
  
I stopped struggling and he bound my hand together with the cord. As soon as I could move again I said, "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"I'm trying," he said, "to keep you in the car. What does it look like I'm doing?"  
  
I opened my mouth to say more, but just then Paul pulled out the other thing he'd gotten from the back-something that I hadn't noticed before. It was a handkerchief, a pretty dirty one, too, and he stuffed in my mouth.  
  
"There, that's better." Paul started the engine again and pulled back onto the road.  
  
The handkerchief tasted horrible in my mouth. It had obviously been lying on the floor in the tiny back seat of the pick-up for quite a while, because it tasted like dirt and other things I didn't even want to think about. Plus, Paul had managed to shove it into my mouth so far that I couldn't even spit it out. And believe me, I tried.  
  
After awhile, we pulled into the parking lot for the forest preserve. I'd been there on my "date" with Paul a month before, but that had been at night, and no one had been there.  
  
But now it was broad daylight, and there were people walking around, fishing and bird watching or whatever. I wasn't sure what exactly Paul was thinking, taking me there.  
  
I found out soon enough as Paul pulled me, a bit ungraciously, out of the truck, removed my gag-he didn't want to look conspicuous, after all, and my hands were tied behind my back, so it wasn't like anyone looking at us could see the cords-and led me down the path.  
  
We walked for a long time. So long, actually, that I was starting to think that we were nearly at the edge of the forest preserve.  
  
No such luck.  
  
We eventually came to an old battered looking building that, from the looks of things, had been abandoned for a very long time.  
  
Paul pushed open the door and then pushed me inside. I landed on a cot several feet away.  
  
I glanced quickly around the room. Aside from the cot, there was a desk and chair near a window at the far side of the room, and a door leading into who knows what. All in all, it wasn't much.  
  
Paul smiled at me, and I had to stop myself from shrinking back against the wall. I don't care how I acted on the outside, Paul Slater scared me. I mean, obviously, since the guy ordered Jesse-my boyfriend-to murder me. And just because I'd told him I didn't want to go out with him. Oh, and there was that whole thing about Jesse breaking his nose up in Purgatory.  
  
Believe me, the guy had managed to murder three other girls who happened to decide he was a creep. Paul was beyond sick.  
  
"Now, where were we?" Paul said almost casually.  
  
"You were about to tell me how you managed to survive the fire."  
  
Paul ignored me. "I'm not going to beat around the bush here, Suze. I have a proposition for you."  
  
I stared at him. Okay, that was definitely not what I thought he'd say. I mean, seriously. I didn't know of anyone who started making deals with the people they were going to kill. That generally didn't happen. Usually it was more like kill now ask questions later kind of thing.  
  
Apparently, though, that's not what Paul had in mind. "Look, let's be honest here," Paul went on. "You and I are not exactly on the same page, obviously. But I think I can come up with something that would make us both happy.  
  
I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah? Somehow I doubt that very much."  
  
Once again, Paul just ignored me. "Listen, I'll make you a deal. I don't really want to have to kill you, you know." I snorted at this. "No, really. I liked you a lot. But then you had to go and date Jesse, and.well, like I've told you, I don't like to lose."  
  
"Yeah," I mumbled, "And you've got the murder record to prove it."  
  
Paul smiled. "Ah, so you've seen that little tidbit about my old girlfriends. Yeah, well, like I said."  
  
"You don't like to lose," I finished for him. This guy really was crazy. I'm serious. He didn't look at all sorry that he'd offed his girlfriends just because they dumped him. It was like he didn't care.  
  
"Anyway, I think I've come up with something that will make both of us happy." Paul swung around the desk chair and placed it in front of the bed, sitting down on it. "See, it gets a bit lonely out here sometime, and I need some company." He raised his eyebrows suggestively. I shuddered. Like I said, the guy was sick. "I'm pretty sure you could be perfect for that particular position."  
  
I gaped at him. "You want me to-to be your-"  
  
Paul shook his head. "Oh, come on, Suze. It's not your virtue that's at stake here. I just want, to put it crudely, a little lip action."  
  
"Oh, my God," I said, disbelieving. "You did not just say that."  
  
"Yeah, actually, I did. Look, there is another alternative."  
  
I cringed. Something told me I didn't want to hear the second alternative.  
  
"We could just call Jesse right now," Paul said, "and we could finish what we started that night at the warehouse." 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Okay, I said I'd do it.  
  
I know, I know, I had just managed to agree to let Paul do whatever it is he wanted with me. The only thing is, I was pretty sure that he had no intention of sleeping with me-thank God. But, on the other hand, he was asking me to cheat on Jesse, something I had never even considered.  
  
Except, of course, Paul was saying that if I didn't do what he said, Jesse and I would have to go through exactly what we went through before. Only this time I'd be gagged, so it wasn't like I could just order Jesse to stop. I mean, look, that whole experience had shaken Jesse just as much as it had shaken me. I really didn't want to put Jesse through that again.  
  
"So, what?" I asked when Paul had finished explaining his proposition. "I agree to let you do this, and you let me live?" It wasn't exactly the greatest of choices, let me tell you.  
  
Paul actually laughed at that. I felt my stomach churning. "Not quite. I still plan to kill you, don't worry about that. But this way your precious Jesse won't have to be apart of it." He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "And this way you get to go home."  
  
That surprised me. I wasn't sure what exactly was going through Paul's mind right then, because the minute I got out of there, I was planning on going directly to the police.  
  
"What?" I demanded.  
  
"You can go home." Paul shook his head. "Everyone's so sure that I'm dead, no one will believe you if you try to tell them. But if do try to tell someone, well, then I'll have to kill you a lot sooner."  
  
I stared at him. There was, I soon found out, no way out of it. If I told him that I wasn't going to go along with his little plan, he'd subject me to the worst possible death that I could think of-at the reluctant hands of the guy I loved. But if I did go along with it, well, then maybe I could find a way out of it, while staying alive.  
  
It was probably the worst mistake of my life.  
  
*** Meanwhile.  
  
Jesse sat in Susannah's window seat, reading "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. It was, as Susannah had pointed out to him the day before when he'd borrowed the book, close to the time when he had lived.  
  
It was just as he was getting near the end when someone appeared in front of him.  
  
Jesse looked up to see a girl, probably no older than Susannah, standing before him, looking around the room nervously, as though she were afraid that someone might find her there.  
  
"Are-Are you Hector de Silva?" the girl asked.  
  
"Yes," Jesse said, wondering why on Earth the ghost of a young girl would be looking for him, instead of Susannah. She was, after all, the mediator.  
  
"I.um.listen, your girlfriend, Suze, she's in a lot of trouble."  
  
Jesse was on his feet in a moment. Really, why did Susannah always need to get herself into trouble? "What happened?" he demanded.  
  
The girl swallowed. Jesse realized he sounded more than a bit forceful, but he didn't have time to care at the moment.  
  
"Well, Paul, he took her to the forest preserve, and he tied her up in this- "  
  
"What?" Jesse grabbed the girl by the shoulders. "Paul Slater? Paul Slater has Susannah?"  
  
The girl nodded.  
  
"But Paul is dead," Jesse said, sounding far more truthful than he really was. In his mind, he was remembering the last moments in the burning warehouse, when he'd seen Paul escape. He hadn't mentioned it to Susannah because he knew, or at least he thought, that she was better off not knowing the truth.  
  
"No, he's still alive," the girl insisted. "And he's going to kill her." Before the words were out of her mouth, Jesse was already trying to think of places in the forest preserve that Paul might take Susannah.  
  
Before he could come up with one, the girl said, "I can take you there."  
  
Which was why Jesse found himself at the old abandoned ranger station. He went through the door first, followed by the girl-he later found out her name was Sarah-and found Susannah lying, asleep-he hoped-on the cot.  
  
She wasn't alone.  
  
*** As it turned out, Paul wouldn't let me out of the station until the next day. Since it was a Friday, he just took out a cell phone-where he got one, I don't know-and ordered me to call my mom and tell her I was spending the night at CeeCee's.  
  
After awhile, I kind of fell asleep-Paul had bound my feet with more cord that he'd procured from the backseat of the truck so I couldn't go anywhere- though how I managed to do that with a psychotic killer in the room, God only knows.  
  
When I woke up, however, things were much different than what I'd expected. For one thing, I was wearing a nightgown-once again, I don't know where Paul got one-that had somehow found its way onto me while I was asleep. I shuddered to think how it got there, and I didn't like any of the ideas that came to mind. Also, my hands and feet had been untied. Paul was sitting on the bed beside me, his body far too close to mine if you asked me.  
  
Oh, and yeah, Jesse was there.  
  
This, you can imagine, wasn't exactly what I wanted to see. I mean, it was bad enough that I'd agreed to, let's face it, cheat on Jesse, but if you think about it, I really didn't have any other choice. But now Jesse had to show up and see me in bed-in a nightgown, no less, since he only ever saw me in boxers and a t-shirt when I went to bed-with his mortal enemy.  
  
Not that anything happened. At least, not as far as I knew of, anyway. But you could tell by the look on his face that Jesse thought just that. That something had happened between Paul and me, I mean.  
  
"Slater," Jesse said in a voice that could definitely not be described as friendly.  
  
Paul just regarded Jesse coolly. "Nice to see you again, Jesse," he said smiling. He reached back and pulled me up alongside him, slipping his arm around my waist. I felt sick to my stomach. He looked at something by the door and smiled. "Sarah," he said casually.  
  
I turned to see a girl, or rather, her ghost, about my age with big brown eyes and jet black hair. She looked like she wanted to run for it just then, but she stayed put. It took me a minute to realize where I recognized her from. I'd seen her picture at Detective Arnold's office, when he'd shown me all that stuff about the girls Paul had murdered.  
  
From what I remembered about her file, her name was Sarah Willis, and she'd been found strangled to death in her bedroom. I had no doubt who'd killed her and why.  
  
Jesse got my attention just then by saying, "What have you done to her?"  
  
I turned to face Jesse. I saw that there was a murderous look in his dark eyes, and I wasn't quite sure if it was solely directed at Paul. I tried to sound indignant, after all, I was trying to act like I wanted Paul to touch me-not, I hoped, that he had in any way that might be damaging to my virtue. If it had, I'd seriously have to consider killing Paul myself. "He didn't do anything to me," I said, swallowing. "Nothing that I didn't want him to do, anyway." I could feel Paul grinning at me, but all I could see was Jesse, and the way the look on his face went from one that was murderous to one that I could only describe as betrayed. My heart was in my throat as I looked up at him. I'd betrayed Jesse, I realized. I hadn't wanted too, but I had. I knew that when this was all over-if it was ever over-I'd have a lot of explaining to do.  
  
Jesse took a step forward. "Susannah," he said in a voice that I'd never heard him use before.  
  
I swallowed again, glancing at Paul.  
  
He cleared his throat. "Look, Jesse, Suze is here only because she wants to be," he informed Jesse. "If she wants to leave, she can." He squeezed me a bit. I bit my lip to keep from cringing. "I'm not forcing her to do anything."  
  
Yeah, right, I thought.  
  
Jesse didn't look convinced. "You," he said to Paul, "can make her do anything you want." His eyes flashed.  
  
Paul smiled. "Fine, have it your way. I'll prove it to you." He turned to look down at me. My heart pounded as I waited for him to speak. "Suze," he said in his mind-control voice, "anything that I've ordered you to do up to this point, forget it." It was actually kind of funny if you think about it.  
  
Except then, I really did forget everything he'd ever forced me to do. I'm not kidding; it was like someone had just hit the delete button or something on those memories. I couldn't even remember when he'd done it.  
  
Luckily for me, Paul hadn't ordered me to forget about our deal. Nor had he ordered me-at least, not using mind-control-to not tell anyone that he was alive.  
  
But now, there was nothing I could point to and say "This is what Paul did to me." And the only person who would probably tell me looked just then like I'd snapped his heart in two.  
  
I knew how he felt. I'd done exactly the same thing to myself.  
  
Just as all of this was sinking in, Paul leaned down and kissed me. Seriously, he kissed me full on the lips. And yeah, he was a good kisser, but I still felt like I wanted to throw up. But despite that fact, I had to kiss him back. That was the deal, anyway.  
  
When we finally broke apart-my lips fully battered and bruised-I realized that Jesse was gone. And so, I noticed, was Sarah Willis.  
  
I turned on Paul then. He was just sitting there, grinning. I glared at him. "You little-"  
  
Paul held up a hand to silence me. "Now, now, Suze, none of that. You did, after all, agree to this."  
  
He had a point there. But it didn't exactly make me feel any less crummy. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
I didn't see Jesse again that weekend.  
  
I mean, it's not like I didn't try to see him. Seriously, I tried calling him at least three times. And usually, when I call Jesse, he comes. But not this time, I guess. Not that I blamed him. It just kind of hurt to know that he even thought that I could be unfaithful to him. I mean, okay, maybe I had been. But it totally wasn't my fault.  
  
This was what was on my mind as I walked in Father Dominic's office on Monday morning, to find him rooting through his desk drawers.  
  
"What are you looking for?" I asked him as I dropped down into my usual seat.  
  
Father Dominic glanced up at me, then continued with his search. "I have something I would like to show you."  
  
I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, yeah? What is it?"  
  
Father D sat up, pulling something from the drawer up with him. "I spoke with Jesse last night, Susannah."  
  
I froze. Okay, I'll admit it, I was afraid that Jesse had told Father Dominic everything about Paul-because, of course, I hadn't. And I knew from the look Father D was shooting me, Jesse definitely had told him.  
  
I took a deep breath. "Listen, Father Dom, about that."  
  
Father Dominic just shook his head. "Susannah, I'm surprised at you. This boy, Paul Slater, he's very dangerous." He frowned. "You should know that better than anyone, I would think. I thought that surely you would be able to deal with this in the proper way." Yeah, right. "But then Jesse told me about this..."  
  
I turned red. "Father D, I did not sleep with Paul Slater."  
  
Father Dominic blinked, looking startled. "Yes, well, that's what I thought. I tried to assure Jesse of this, but Susannah, I think he is truly broken up about this."  
  
I stared at him. "Father Dom, Jesse doesn't get all broken up about stuff. It's just not his way."  
  
"Yes, I know, that's why I'm so worried. He seemed genuinely hurt by this." He held up what he had brought out of the drawer. "Do you know what this is?"  
  
Taking the thing in his hands-it was a picture-I just blinked at it for a long moment. There was this guy, probably no older than I was, standing in a tuxedo with his arm around, well, nothing.  
  
Seriously.  
  
The picture was pretty old, too, you could tell. I mean, it was in black and white and all that.  
  
"That is my wedding picture."  
  
My head snapped up at Father Dom's words. "Your what?"  
  
Father Dom took the picture from me, smiling warily down at it. "Do you remember that conversation we had a few months ago, when you asked me if I had ever been in love?"  
  
I nodded. I remembered it. Father D had been just about to tell me about the time he'd fallen for a ghost, but Jesse had come up and interrupted us.  
  
"Well, when I was your age, I married that young lady that I was in love with." He smiled again, and I knew he was off in some long ago memory.  
  
"And she was a ghost," I prompted.  
  
"Yes. I found a judge in Sacramento who was also a mediator, and we married there." He fingered the picture. "It was a wonderful moment." His blue eyes were starting to get a little misty.  
  
I handed him a tissue. "What happened to her?"  
  
Father Dominic accepted the tissue, dabbing his eyes. "She moved on eventually, of course. And then a few years later I became a priest."  
  
It wasn't exactly Romeo and Juliet, to be sure, but it obviously meant a lot to Father Dom. And really, I almost wish that he hadn't told me. I mean, it was right after that whole thing with Jesse and Paul, and I really didn't want to think about it right then.  
  
I left Father Dominic to his memories. I had my own problems to deal with right then.  
  
***  
  
That night, as I was going out to see Paul-I had to go down to the ranger station every night to see him-when Jesse finally showed up.  
  
I came out of the bathroom, dressed in my ghost busting outfit, when I saw him sitting in my window seat, looking very serious. "Hey," I said cautiously.  
  
Jesse looked up at me. Something flashed in his dark eyes, but before I could figure out what it was, it was gone. "Hello, Susannah," he said tonelessly. He looked me up and down, frowning at my ensemble. "Are you going out?"  
  
I shifted a bit uncomfortably. "Yeah," I said, crossing to the window. Jesse stood and I opened it. "I'll see you later." My stomach clenched as I slid one leg out onto the porch roof.  
  
I really didn't like leaving Jesse like that. But I really had no choice.  
  
"Susannah."  
  
I turned to look back at Jesse. He looked just as uncomfortable as I felt. "What?"  
  
Jesse placed his hand on my shoulder for just a moment before stepping back. "Be careful." Then he was gone.  
  
*** It had become Paul's custom to ask me every night if I'd told anyone about him. Tonight was no different, as I saw when I came into the ranger station.  
  
The room was spotless, as always, and the only sign that someone was staying there was the fact that the bed sheets were unkempt.  
  
Paul emerged from the other room-which was actually a bathroom-and spotted me instantly. He came toward me, and I stiffened. He smiled, then cupped my face and kissed me hard on the mouth. It was the way he always started every night.  
  
"Did you tell anyone?"  
  
"No," I said, turning toward the desk.  
  
"Suze." Paul was using his commanding voice now. He always did that, too. Against my will, I turned around to face him. "Tell me the truth," he commanded.  
  
"I didn't tell anyone." My voice didn't sound like my own. I felt sick.  
  
Paul smiled. "Good." Then he took me in his arms again and kissed me not-so- gently. I couldn't pull away. To be honest, I was more afraid of what he'd do if I did than what he'd do if I didn't.  
  
*** A/N: Okay, to anyone who doesn't like what I've done with the whole Paul/Suze/Jesse thing.I just want y'all to know, that this story's going to have one freakishly good/romantic/omygosh, that was beautiful ending. I promise. Until then, I'd really appreciate it if you'd just bare with me. Thanks. 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Okay, I have to warn you all: Paul gets seriously evil at the beginning of this chapter, but you people will be happy about what ends up happening. Especially those of you who make a habit of complaining about what I did to the characters. Hehe.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
It was two days before anything really happened. During those two days, I snuck out each night to the ranger station, and Paul did what he wanted. Jesse stayed as far away from me as he could, and Father Dominic had taken it upon himself to now lecture me on putting myself into dangerous situations.  
  
In other words, life sucked.  
  
And to make matters worse, I'd been thinking about what Father D had told me the day before. I mean, about him and that ghost. I knew, at least, I thought I knew, that I could never have anything like that. I mean, I love Jesse, but I was pretty sure that he hated me right then. Well, okay, maybe he didn't hate me. But he seriously disliked me.  
  
So on Wednesday night, as I was leaning Dopey's bike against the side of the ranger station, like I always did, I wasn't really expecting anything to change just yet. Paul didn't seem particularly concerned with killing me right away, so I did have time to think of what to do. The only problem was, I couldn't think of anything. How could did you stop a guy who could control your mind?  
  
On the other hand, I could have tried to control his. I mean, I did have the power to do it. The only problem was, I couldn't-at least, I thought I couldn't-control a living person, like Paul could. A ghost, sure. But Paul was definitely no ghost.  
  
Anyway, when I got inside, Paul was in there waiting for me. We went through the usual motions, and then he went and did something he had promised not to do.  
  
He broke our deal.  
  
He came at me, and I braced myself for his kiss. He did kiss me, only he pushed me onto the bed while doing so.  
  
"What are you doing?" I demanded before Paul silenced me with another kiss. His body covered mine in an instant. I shoved at him. "Paul!" His hands slid downward. Panic rising, I tried to squirm away from him.  
  
I fought him, but he held my arms down. Finally, I drew my knee up hard between his legs.  
  
"You little-" Paul swore, stumbling back. It took him a minute to gain his composure, and I took advantage of that moment.  
  
My fist connected with his nose, and he fell backwards. To my dismay, I didn't break his nose. I did, however, probably damage it a bit, and for the moment that would have to do.  
  
I turned and ran out of there, only stopping to grab Dopey's bike. I high- tailed it out of there as fast as I could, not daring to look behind me in case Paul followed me. Not that I really thought he would. We both knew I'd be back.  
  
By the time I reached my bedroom, I was exhausted. It's no joke, riding three miles uphill in the dark.  
  
To my surprise, Jesse was sitting in my window seat with Spike in his lap. When I came in, he looked up, then instantly his expressionless face turned into one of concern.  
  
"Susannah," Jesse said, staring at me, "what happened?"  
  
I don't know what it was exactly that made me tell him, but it all just came out in a rush. I told him about how I'd first seen Paul at the Mission Academy, and the deal I'd been forced to make with him.  
  
I finally finished with, "And, oh God, Jesse, he tried to-he was going to-" And then the tears just started. I'm serious. I hate crying. But I couldn't help it.  
  
Jesse, who had stood up during my long winded speech, came over to me and took me in his arms. I glanced up at him, and I realized that his held the tenderest expression I'd ever seen-directed at me, anyway.  
  
"Susannah," Jesse said in that silky voice of his. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"  
  
I took a deep breath. "Because," I said, "Paul said that if I told anyone he'd kill me. And that if I didn't agree to his deal, he'd make you kill me."  
  
Jesse pulled back and I wanted to scream for him not to. But he looked at me for a long moment, his eyes narrowed. "Susannah, did Paul."  
  
I caught his meaning in a second. "No! I mean, he tried to. But Jesse, he swore he wouldn't, and then tonight, he tried to and I-"  
  
Jesse's arms tightened around me. "We need to talk to Father Dominic."  
  
I blinked at him. "Father D? But Jesse-"  
  
"Susannah, you and I can't do this on our own." I didn't bother to point out that Jesse wasn't supposed to have any part in it. I mean, I didn't want anything to happen to him, anyway. But apparently Jesse had made up his mind that he was going to do it.  
  
Which is why the next morning found Jesse and me in Father Dom's office. I'd had the entire night to devise a plan to deal with Paul. Not that I'd told Jesse about it until we were sitting in there.  
  
Not that either of them agreed with the plan. They made their opinions of it very clear, but in the end they finally agreed to it, on the condition that Jesse was close at hand. I had no problem with that, really. I was scared enough as it was about going in there again, let alone having to do it alone.  
  
I just didn't realize at the time what exactly I was going up against. 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for, for the moment that has been prolonged through all of the Mediator books and not just this fanfic.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
I spent the day-when I wasn't in school-with Jesse. He was still a bit peeved that I hadn't told him the truth, but other than that he had forgiven me. At least, that's the impression I got. But you know, those kisses he kept giving me were kind of hard to figure out.  
  
Yeah. Right.  
  
I'm serious, when I got up to my room that day after school, Jesse was there, and he just came over and gave me this really sweet kiss. I had no problem whatsoever with the fact that he just wanted cuddle with me-I'm not kidding-before I had to go out to see Paul. We both knew that it could very well be the last time we saw each other. Seriously, that's how dangerous this plan of mine was going to be. But we really didn't have much of a choice at the moment.  
  
I thought about telling Jesse about what I'd talked about with Father Dominic. I really did. The only thing was, I wasn't really sure where I would go with that topic. I couldn't exactly go to Jesse and ask "Hey, Jesse, wanna get married?"  
  
Not that he'd say yes. I wasn't even sure that I'd want him to say yes.  
  
So that night, as I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, I made a decision. When this whole thing was over, I'd talk to Jesse. And then I'd deal with whatever came next.  
  
I went back into my bedroom where Jesse was standing by my bed, looking solemn.  
  
I stopped in the doorway. "Hey," I said softly.  
  
Jesse looked up at me and smiled warily. "Susannah." His voice trailed off. It was one of the few times I'd ever seen Jesse at a loss for words. Finally he came forward and took me in his arms for what had to be the hundredth time that day. He kissed me gently then pulled his head back. He cupped my cheek in one hand, still holding me with the other.  
  
I swallowed. "Jesse, maybe I should-"  
  
I was about to say that I should go, but Jesse interrupted me. "Susannah, I love you."  
  
That got my attention. I stared at Jesse. "You-you what?"  
  
Jesse smiled shakily. "I love you. And you must promise me that you'll be careful." He stepped back from me, letting his arms dropped to his sides. It took me a moment to realize that Jesse thought that I didn't love him back. Not in that way, at least. Oh, sure, he knew I liked him. But he didn't understand just how much I liked him.  
  
I felt my eyes fill with uninvited tears, but I fought them back. "I promise I'll be careful," I said to Jesse. Then I went to the window and started to climb through it. I know, I was a coward. But for some reason I couldn't tell him the whole truth yet.  
  
I was at the end of the porch roof before I finally turned back and whispered, "I love you, too, Jesse." But by then he was already gone.  
  
*** I stepped into the ranger station, closing the door behind me. Paul was waiting for me, sitting in the desk chair. I noted that his nose looked exceptionally black-and-blue that night, but I didn't say anything.  
  
"You're back," Paul said, looking slightly amused.  
  
I swallowed and nodded.  
  
Paul stood up and walked toward me. He stopped just in front of me. "Did you tell anyone about me?" he asked.  
  
"No," I lied, bracing myself for the next question I knew was coming.  
  
Paul shook his head and smiled. "Suze, I don't know why you always play these games." I had no idea what he was talking about, so I remained silent. "You leave me no choice, I guess." Then, in his mind control voice he said, "Tell me the truth."  
  
I fought him, I really did. But in the end I opened my mouth and said, "I told Jesse."  
  
Instead of pouncing on me like I half-expected him to, Paul sighed. "That's too bad then." Without warning he spun me around, holding my hands behind me. He brought out the cord-I couldn't believe that I hadn't noticed it before-and bound my hands before I had a chance to react.  
  
I tried to kick at him, but he overpowered me and shoved me to the floor. My head hit the wooden floor boards hard, disorienting me for just a second. I tried to sit up, but Paul sat down on my chest, knocking the air out of me. I gasped.  
  
"Really, Suze," Paul taunted, "I didn't think you'd be nearly this weak."  
  
That did it. I hate being called weak. I bucked and twisted, but Paul just laughed at me. Finally, he reached down wrapped his large hands around my throat. He dug his knees into my ribs at the same time he was trying to crush my trachea.  
  
I couldn't breathe. I tried to scream, but all that came out were gasps. I realized with a start that Jesse wasn't going to get there in time. Father Dominic wouldn't call the cops in time. I was going to die right there, in an abandoned ranger station.  
  
And I'd been too much of a chicken to tell Jesse that I loved him.  
  
For his part, Paul seemed to be enjoying my pain. At least, I thought he was. Things were sort of getting dark at that point. I couldn't see, I couldn't breath, and I was pretty sure Paul was breaking my ribs.  
  
The last thing I remember before passing out was someone calling out, "Susannah!" over and over. But before I could register who it was, everything was black. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
I didn't die. I probably should have, considering what Paul had been trying to do to me. But I didn't die.  
  
I woke up on the floor of the ranger station, only to see Jesse standing a few feet away from me. But he wasn't looking at me. He looked like he wanted to kill someone and when I turned my head I saw who exactly that someone was.  
  
Paul was the first to notice that I was awake. He smiled down at me. "Hello, Suze."  
  
Jesse turned his head to look at me, and I saw him relax just a little. Apparently he'd thought that I was dead. It certainly explained the murderous look he'd been shooting Paul.  
  
"You're boyfriend and I were just talking about you," Paul continued. He came over to me and pulled something from his pocket. It was a knife. A rather sharp and pointy one at that. It took me a minute to realize why Jesse wasn't moving to stop him. It was because he couldn't move.  
  
I tried to get away from him, but Paul stopped me. My entire body went rigid and all I could do was stare at him.  
  
Paul smiled. He sat down beside me and pushed my shirt up, exposing my abdomen. "You know," he said, letting his knife hover over me, "back when there were Samurai warriors in Japan, they considered honor to be above everything."  
  
I blinked. I couldn't understand why exactly he was choosing to share this with me just then, but I stayed silent.  
  
"When a warrior would lose a battle," he continued, "he'd take his sword, stab him self in the side, then draw it up across his chest to his heart." As he said that, he took him knife and cut a long, shallow line across my stomach. Blood followed the blade. I bit my lip, trying not to cry out or make it obvious that I was in pain.  
  
I stole a glance toward Jesse. His eyes were riveted on my face.  
  
Paul drew back the knife, watching my face. His smile widened. Keeping his eyes on my face, he drew back his arm and brought the blade down across my abdomen.  
  
I cried out in pain. I couldn't help it. It hurt like nothing I'd ever felt before.  
  
The second time was even worse. He cut a long gash just over my belly button before twisting it up to cross the first slash.  
  
Just then there was a loud banging on the door. All three of us-Paul, Jesse, and me-looked up in surprise. A second later someone yelled, "Open up! It's the police!"  
  
I'm not joking. It was like a scene from a really bad movie.  
  
Paul went back to what he'd been doing, obviously not caring about the police. The knife came down a third time, harder and faster, and I couldn't help but scream.  
  
And then the door just sort of flew open. Seriously, one minute the police were banging on it, yelling for Paul to open it, the next they were rushing through it. Paul didn't seem to care. He just drew his arm back and.  
  
Nothing happened. Paul and I both looked up to see Detective Arnold with his fist wrapped around the arm holding the knife.  
  
What happened next was all a blur to me. I remember Detective Arnold wrestling the knife from Paul's hand, and then slapping handcuffs onto his wrists. Then I only heard parts of what was said, since the paramedics arrived then, and they were trying to bandage me up.  
  
I did hear, though, Paul saying, "We had a deal."  
  
Detective Arnold simply responded, "I don't make deals with murderers." Then two other cops led Paul outside. The detective glanced down at me. "Are you all right?"  
  
I nodded, even though really, I wasn't. I wanted to ask him what Paul had meant when he'd said that he and Detective Arnold had a deal.  
  
It wasn't until the paramedics were loading me onto a stretcher that I remembered Jesse still couldn't move.  
  
I opened my mouth to tell him he could move again, but by then the paramedics were hurrying me out of there and toward an ambulance that had been pulled up alongside the ranger station.  
  
I did, though, hear someone say, "You can go now." But before I could find out who it was, the ambulance doors shut, cutting me off.  
  
*** A/N What'd you think? Do you want to know what's up with Detective Arnold? Well do you? You'll just have to wait, I'm afraid. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Stitches. I went through all that and all I got was a few measly stitches.  
  
On top of it all, after that night, Detective Arnold disappeared. I'm serious, I tried calling the police station, but the receptionist told me that he was gone. He'd just up and left. I didn't get to ask him what was up with him and Paul. And apparently, Jesse was just as dumbfounded as I was. All he could say was that Detective Arnold was the one who let him go.  
  
As for Paul, well, he was in for a very long prison sentence. In the end he was convicted on three counts of first degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, theft, assault and battery, and kidnapping. Basically, he was going away for a very long time.  
  
A couple of days after I got out of the hospital, a letter showed up for me. There wasn't a return address on it or anything, it just had "Susannah Simon" scrolled across the envelope.  
  
I took the letter up to my room and opened it on my bed. It just turned out to be a simple piece of printed paper with a simple message typed across it:  
  
Don't ask anymore questions. We can make your life a lot worse.  
  
That's it. It wasn't signed or anything. Just a simple warning. Of course, I had no idea who "we" was supposed to be, but something told me I'd be hearing from them again.  
  
I stuffed the letter under my pillow and went into the bathroom to take a nice long shower. When I came back out, Jesse was sitting on my day bed. He'd finished "A Tale of Two Cities" and had moved on to other books by Charles Dickens. At the moment he was reading "Oliver Twist."  
  
Jesse looked up at me when I came in. He smiled. "How are you feeling?"  
  
I sat down next to him. "Better, I guess." I decided not to tell Jesse about the letter just then. I knew that there'd be plenty of time for that later. Right then I had some business of my own to take care of.  
  
"Jesse, I-"  
  
He set down his book and looked down at me. "Yes, querida?"  
  
I took a deep breath. "Look, I was talking to Father Dominic last week, and he told me about something really important, and I thought maybe, you know, we could do it. I mean, if you want to. Because I would totally understand if you didn't. It's just that-"  
  
"Susannah," Jesse said, smiling a little. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well, I." I took another deep breath, then finally said, "Jesse I love you."  
  
Jesse stared at me for a long moment. Before he could say anything, though, I went, "Jesse, will you marry me?"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED.  
  
*** A/N: Oh, I know it was evil of me to leave it there. You don't have to tell me that. But don't you totally want to know what Jesse says? You better be saying yes. Anyway, I will write a sequel, I promise. And soon. You people have to admit that I do update fast, reviews or not. Unlike a lot of fanfic writers I know. Because, I'd just like to say that I have been waiting forever for many fanfics. I won't name them all. You all know who you are, since I write reviews frequently which mostly include the word "UPDATE" several times. Anyway, on to more important subjects (not that the fanfic writers aren't important, of course. Where else am I supposed to get my entertainment?)  
  
I'd like to thank all my lovely reviewers. Even though y'all complained that I couldn't update fast enough. Okay, really, I'm grateful for all the wonderful reviews. Honestly, I could have sworn that there were people who reviewed this story that never reviewed "Another Haunted." Which makes me wonder if they read "Another Haunted" at all. But you can make up for it by reading my other stories! Okay, so I'm getting a little desperate here.  
  
Yeah, and one last thing: I do not own The Mediator. PLEASE DON"T SUE ME! 


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